Method of making jar closures



Feb. 7, 1928. 1,658,603

w. KOWAL METHOD OF MAKING JAR CLOSURES Filed Jan. 1927 Patented Feb. '7, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WALTER KOWAJL, F BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR T0 PHOENIX-HERMETIC COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

METHOD OF MAKING JAR CLOSURES.

Application filedJ'anuary 8, 1927. Serial No. 159,902.

The invention relates to new and useful improvements in the method of making jar closures, and more particularly a one-piece jar closure having the lower edge thereof curled.

An object of the invention is to provide a method of making a jar closure wherein the lower edge is curled inwardly, and positioned substantially in alinement with the side wall of the finished closure, which consists in providing a shell with a right angle flange and rolling said flange to form the curlwhile said flange is in its right angle position, and subsequently bending the flange to position the curl in alinement with the side wall of the closure.

Another object of the invention is to pro vide a method of making a jar closure of the above type which consists in enlarging the shell in the region adjacent the top thereof for knurling, simultaneously with the rolling of the flange into a curl.

A. further object of the invention is to provide a method of producing jar closures 5 of the above type wherein the side wall of the closure is bent or shaped so as to provide the same with holding means at the time when the flange is bent downward to bring the curl into alinem'ent with the side wall of P the jar closure.

These and other objects will in part be obvious and will in part be-liereinafter more fully disclosed.

Tn the drawings which show by way of illustration one embodiment of the invention- Figure l is a View partly in side elevation and partly in section, showing a shell which is subjected to my improved method for forming a jar closure;

Fig. 2 is a view showing diagrammatically the forming tools for curling the right angle flange of the shell, and enlarging the side wall of the shell adjacent the top thereof prior to the operation of the tools on said shell- Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, but showing the tools as having completed their operations upon the shell;

Fig. 4 is a view showing the tools for bending the flange. threading the side wall, and knurling the enlarged portion of the closure, positioned for operation upon the closure,

and before having performed their tions thereon;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4, but showing the tools as having performed their operations thereon, and

Fig. (3 is a View partly in side elevation and partly in section, showing a closure made by my improved method.

The invention is directed to a method of making a one-piece jar closure, which jar closure, in its finished construction, has a top portion and an integral side wall. The in tegral side wall is enlarged adjacent the top portion and knurled, the enlargement being for the purpose of providing a recess for the liner. The side wall of the closure is provided with holding means adapted to engage the jar for securing the closure to the jar, and this holding means, in the present embodiment of the invention, is in the form of a thread. At the lower edge of the side wall, the jar closure is curled inwardly and the curled edge is so positioned that the inner face of the curl is substantially in line with the side wall of the closure. The improved method in making the jar closure described, consists in first providing a shell with a right angle flange, then submitting said shell with the right angle flange to forming tools which curl the right angle flange to form acurl facing away from the top of the shell, without disturbing the right angle position of the flange. The forming tools during this step in the method, also enlarge the, shell in the region of the top of the closure. In the next operation, the shell with its curved flange and enlarged top, is submitted to the forming tools, which bend the flange downward, that is, away from the top of the closure so as to bring the curl into alinement with the side wall of the closure. During this bending of the flange downward, the curl is not clamped. and the side wall of the closure may, therefore, be shortened. Simultaneously with the bending down of the flange to position the curled portion, the side wall of the closure is bent so as to form threads therein. During the forming of these threads, the side wall is free to shorten, and therefore, the threads are formed by the shaping of the metal as distinguished from a drawing of the metal. Simultaneously with the forming of the threads and the opera- .completed jar 11+ bending down of the curled flange, the enlarged portion adjacent the top of the closure is knurled.

Referring more in detail to the drawings,

I the shell consists of a top portion 1, a side wall 2, and a right angle flange 3. This shell is made by drawing dies in a wellknown way, and description of the method of making the shell is not thought necessary. The shell after it is formed, is submitted to the action of two forming tools 4 and 5. The shell is sli ped over the forming tool 5, which is in t e nature of an inner chuck or roll. This inner chuck or roll is mounted in suitable bearings and positively rotated. The. outer forming tool 4 is likewise in the form of a roll or outer chuck, which is suitably mounted and rotated. The inner chuck has an enlarged portion 6 and an adjacent reduced portion 7. The outer chuck or roll has a reduced portion 8 cooperating with the enlarged portion 6 on the innerv chuck, and an enlarged (portion 9 which cooperates with the reduce portion 7 on the inner chuck. These parts 0 erate on the shell to form an enlar ed portion 10 in the shell: The urpose 0 this enlarged. portion is to provi e a recess for a linerso that the liner can be freely held in the closure. The liner is of such diameter as to permit it to be forced into tlfi finished closure and the threads in the side wall of the closure will hold it from dro ping out of the closure. Therefore, the iner and closure become assembled as a unit, and may be so handled. At the same time, when the closure is screwed on to the jar, the liner is freely held by the closure so that the liner does not turn with the closure, but is pressed by .the closure directly against the lip of thejar.

The inner chuck is provided with a rojectin portion 11, the wall 12 of whic is at rig t angles to the axis of the chuck, and the wall 13 is inclined. -The outer roll or chuck 4 is provided with a groove 14, the bottom face of which is curved as indicated at 15. The ur ose of the projecting portion 11 is to old the flange 3 of the closure in its right angle sition, while the groove 14 is turning t e ange into a curl indicated at 16 in the drawings. This curl in the right angle flange is (preferably suflicient so as to bring the raw e ge of metal very close to, but slightly spaced from the face of the flange, away from the top of the closure. The space is for the aurpose of taking up any irregularities in e metal, so that the shell from which theclosure is made does not have to be trimmed after. it is drawn. It is desired, however, to roll the curl sufficiently close to the flange, so that when turned down into alinement with the side wall of the closure by the next step in the method,

.19 and 20 whic tempos within the closure. It is noted that this rolling of the right angle flange into a curl is accom lished b pressure brought to bear on the ange ra ially of the closure, and

therefore, both the flan e may be curled and the side wall enlarged y the rotating inner and outer chucks, by a adual movement of the outer chuck towa vice versa.

The closure after the operations above described, is then submitted to another air of forming devices 17 and 18, indicate in ,Figures 4 and 5. The forming device 18 is in the form of a rotating chuck, which is of such diameter as to be placed within the closure as formed by the rotating chucks shown in Fi res 2 and 3. The outer forming device 1 is also in the form of a rotating chuck. These rotating chucks are provided with 'coo ilerating knurling portlons are positioned so as to knurl the enlarged ortion 6 of the closure. The knurls are indicated on the finished closure at 21 in Fig. 6. It is noted that these knurling portions on the chucks are inclined to the axis of the chucks. This is a great advantage in the forming of the knurls for the reason that as these chucks rotate, first one end of the knurl is formed, and the forming of the knurl progresses across to the other end, and as a matter of fact, the adjacent knurl may be started 'before the complete finishing of the knurl next to the same. The strain on the metal is very much less than in the form of knurling where the whole knurl is formed at once, as is necessary where the coo rating knurling members are parallel with the axis of rotation of the chucks.

The outer chuck 17 is provided .with a groove 22 which has a side wall 23 positioned so as to engage the right angle flange 3 at the free edge of the side wall, and the combined action of the groove 22 and side wall 23 bends the flan e downward or away from the top of the c osure into alinement with the side wall of the closure. The inner chuck 18 is provided with a ribbed 24 which is substantiall in line w1th the groove 22, but this ribbe )ortion 24 is preferably of such a diameter t at the curled portion on the side wall of the closure is free and not clamped thereto. The inner chuck 18 is provided with a spiral thread 25, and the usual spiral groove 26 alongside of the same. The outer chuck is likewise provided with a spiral thread 27 and the usual spiral groove 28 alon ide of the same. The spiral thread on the inner chuck, of course, cooperates with the spiral groove on the outer chuck, and the spiral thread on the outer chuck cooperates with the spiral groove on the inner chuck, and thus it is that the side wall of the closure is provided with a spiral thread groove on the iImer face thereof,

ortion the inner chuck, or

which is adapted to receive a spiral thread on the ar closure for securing the closure to the jar. The thread groove is formed in the side wall of the closure at the same time that the closure is knurled, and the curled edge re-positioned in alinement with the side wall. Inasmuch as the curled portion during the repositioning thereof is not clamped by the forming tools, the side wall is free to shorten, and therefore, the thread groove is made by the bending of the metal in the side wall as distinguished from the drawing of the metal. lit has been the practice heretofore to roll the right angle flange of ashell to form a curl by the rolling of the flange toward the top of the closure, and to simultaneously thread and knurl the side wall of the closure. During this curling of the flange, the curl is clamped by the forming tools, so that the side wall of the closure can not shorten, and therefore, the shaping of the metal to form the thread groove is accomplished by the drawing of the metal. By my improved method, however, the metal is not drawn, but is bent to form a thread, and therefore, the strain on the metal is very much less and the wear on the forming tools is also less. It is understood, of course, that the parts are so proportioned that when a finished closure is produced, the side wall plus the curled portion which is positioned in alinement therewith, make up the proper depth of the side wall of the finished closure.

The finished closure as shown in Fig. 6, includes a top portion 1, a side wall 2, having a thread groove 29 on the inner face there of formed by the cooperation of the forming tools shown in Figures 4 and 5, and a curled lower edge 30 which is formed by rolling the right angle flange into a curl while the flange .is in its right angle position, and substantially bending the flange downward or away from the top, in order to bring the curl into alinement with the side wall of the closure.

The thread groove in the closure tapers off to a finish just above the curl, and also tapers off to a finish just below the knurl. While I have shown a single thread, it will be understood that the method may be used. in the forming of a closure wherein there are multiple threads, or in the forming of a closure wherein the side wall is bent so as to form other types of securing projections or grooves. One of the essential features of the invention consists in the curling of a right angle flange of the shell away from the top portion of the closure, and then the bending of the flange so as to position the curl in alinement with the side Wall at the time when the side wall is bent to provide the holding means for the closure, or subsequent to the bending of the side wall, so that when the side wall is bent, the curled edge of the closure is free to permit the side Wall to shorten, and thus the holding devices or grooves formed in the side wall are produced therein by a bending of the metal instead of a drawing of the metal.

lVhile I have described the method as particularly adapted for making a one-piece jar closure, it will be understood that it may be equally well used in conjunction with a twopiece jar closure, wherein the threaded portion is in the form of a ring clamping a closing member to the mouth of the jar. It will be understood also that the method is egually applicable to the curling of any form 0 metal structure'which includes a body portion having a cylindrical wall drawn from sheet metal, as for example, in the forming of a box body. The body portion may be drawn from sheet metal, and a right angle flange formed 011 the cylindrical wall thereof, No trimming of the metal is necessary when the right angle flange is rolled into an inturned curl, and the curl re-positioned in alinement with the side wall of the struc ture. The irregularity in the edge portion of the metal due to the drawing of the same is concealed, and the edge formed by the curl is true throughout; that is, the wall is of uniform depth throughout.

It is oln'ious that minor changes in the details of the steps of the method described may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Let ters-Patent, is-

1. The method of making a hollow metal structure having a substantially cylindrical side wall with an inturned bead at one end thereof, consisting in forming a shell having a cylindrical side wall and a right angle flange at one end thereof, rolling the outer portion of the flange into a curl facing away from the side wall of the structure, and repositioning said flange so that the curl is placed in substantial alinement with the side wall of the metal structure.

2/The method of making a jar closure consisting in forming a shell having'a top A portion, a cylindrical side Wall and a right angle flange at the free edge of said side wall, rolling the outer portion of the flange into a curl facing away from said top portion, and repositioning said flange so that the curl is substantially in alinement with the side wall. 3. The method of makig a jar closure consisting in forming a shell having a top portion, a cylindrical side wall and a right angle flange at the free edge of said side wall, rolling the outer portion of the flange into a curl facing away from said top portion, and repositioning said flange so that the curl is substantially in alinement with the side wall and simultaneously forming jar engaging means in said side wall.

a. The method of making a jar closure T curl consisting in formin a shell having a top portion, a cylindrica side wall and a right an le flange at the free edge of said side wall, rolling said right angle flange to form a curl and simultaneously enlarging the side wall adjacent the top portion, and formin the side wall with jar enga ing means an simultaneousl knurling said enlarged portion in the si e wall.

5. The method of makin a jar closure consisting in forming a shel having a top portion, a cylindrical side wall and a right angle flange at the free edge of said side wall, rollin the outer portion of the flange into a acing away from said top portion, forming a'thread groove in the side wall and simultaneously re-position'ing said flange-so that the curl is substantially in alinement with the side wall, with the inner diameter thereof of suflicient dimensions to permit a thread on a jar to pass into the closure and engage said thread groove.

6. The method of makin a jar closure consisting in forming a she having a top portion, a cylindrical side wall and a right an le flange at the free edge of said side wall, ro ling the outer portion of the flange into a curl acing away irom said top portion, forming a thread groove'in the side wall and simultaneously re-positioning said flange so that the curl is substantially in alinement with the side wall, with the inner diameter thereof'of suflicient dimensions-to permit a thread on a jar to ass into the closure and engage said three. groove, said curl and flange being substantially free during the repositioning of the flange so that the side wall of said flan 'e may shorten during the forming of the thread therein, whereby the metal in the side wall may be bent to form the thread groove.

7 The method of makin a jar closure consisting in forming a she having a top portion, a cylindrical side wall, and a right an 1e flange at the free edge of said side wall, rol ing the outer portion of the flange into a curl facing away from said top portion by pressure applied to the flange in a direction radially of the closure, and re-positioning said flange to place said curl in alinement with the side wall by pressure applied radially of said closure.

8. The method of makin a jar closure consisting in forming a she having a top portion, a cylindrical side wall, and a right an le flange at the free edge of said side wall, rol ing the outer portion of the flange into a curl facing away from said top portion by pressure applied to the flange in a direction radially of the closure, re-positioning said flange to place said curl in alinement with the side wall by ressure applied radially of said closure, and bending the side wal of said closure during the re-positioning of the flange by pressure applied radially of the closure for forming a thread groove therein.

9. The method of ma a jar closure consisting informing a shel having a top portion, a cylindrical side wall and a right angle flange at the free edge of said side wall, rolling the outer portion of the flange into a curl facing away from said top portion by pressure applied to the flange in a direction radially of the closure, re-positioning said flange to place said curl in alinement with the side wall by pressure applied radially of said closure, bending the slde wall of-s'aid closure during the resitionin of the flange bfy pressure applied radia y of the closure or forming a thread groove therein, enlar ing the side wall of said closure adjacent t e top during the curling of the flan e, and knurling said enlarged portion of t e side wall during theforming of the thread groove.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature.

WALTER KOWAL. 

